Blank distributing machine



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I BLANK DISTRIBUTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 28, 1940 14 Sheets-sheaf. l2

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BY g i E Z y 1942- J. J. DONOVAN 2,290,852

BLANK DISTRIBUTING MACHINE- Filed Aug. 28, 1940 14 Sheets-Sheet l3 INVENTOR.

July 28, 1942.

J. J. DONOVAN BLANK DISTRIBUTING MACHINE 14 Sheets-Sheet 14 Filed Aug. 28, 1940 INVENTOR.

Patented July 28, 1942 BLANK DISTRBUTING MACHINE James Joseph Donovan, Hartford, Conn., assignor to North American Holding Corporation, Syracuse, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application August 28, 1940, Serial No. 354,581

14 Claims.

This invention relates to a machine for measuring and sorting soles, heel lifts, taps and other blanks of the type used in shoe making.

A machine of the class indicated is shown and described in my Patent No. 2,123,136 granted July 5, 1938, and the principal object of my present invention is to improve the construction and mode of operation of machines of the class indicated. It is also an object of this invention to provide an efficient machine of the class referred to which will operate automatically to accurately and rapidly measure the blanks and sort them according to their thicknesses.

To these end I have provided a machine for measurin and sorting blanks, said machine being constructed and operating as set forth in the following description, the several novel features of the invention being separately pointed out and defined in the claims at the close of said description.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figures 1 and 1a, joined at the lines |-l appearing thereon, make up a plan view of my improved machine.

Figures 2 and 2a, joined at the lines 22 appearing thereon, present a side elevation of the distributing mechanism of my improved machine.

Figures 3 and 30., joined at the lines 3-3 appearing thereon, present a longitudinal sectional view of the distributing mechanism.

Figure 4 is a section on line 44 of Fig. 1.

Figure 5 is a detail, hereinafter described, relating to the measuring mechanism.

Figure 6 is a partial section on line 66 of Fig. 1.

Figure 7 is an end elevation of the machine as viewed from the bottom of Fig. 1.

Figure 8 is a section on line 8-8 of Fig. '7.

Figure 9 is a detail, in elevation, illustrating the construction of the delivery rolls, hereinafter described, by which the measured blanks are delivered to the distributing mechanism.

Figure 10 is a section on line Ill-Ill of Fig. 9.

Figure 11 is a plan view of one of the gates of the distributing mechanism hereinafter described.

Figures 12 and 13 are details relating to the controller-setting mechanism hereinafter described.

Figure 14 shows somewhat enlarged a portion of the controller-setting mechanism that is illustrated in Fig. 13.

Figure 15 is a section on line |5l5 of Fig. 14,

illustrating the construction of a pair of latches,

hereinafter described, forming part of said mechanism.

Figure 16 is a section similar to Fig. 15 but showing the pair of latches in their retracted or inoperative positions.

Figure 1'7 is a section on line l1-l'| of Fig. 14 with the adjustable stop arm 98 omitted.

Figure 18 is an edge view of the ratchet segment forming part of the stop arm 98.

Figure 19 is a diagram illustrating the electric circuits provided for the switches and solenoids hereinafter referred to.

Figure 20 is an elevation of a portion of the measuring mechanism showing the pawl and ratchet devices thereof.

The embodiment of my invention, herein illustrated, comprises a hopper that is indicated generally at A (Figs. 1 and 7), a thickness measuring mechanism that is indicated generally at B and a distributing mechanism that is indicated generally at C.

During the operation of the machine the blanks, herein shown as leather soles, are moved forwardly one at a time from hopper A, through the measuring mechanism B and delivered on to a grid-like shelf or platform I!) at the entrance end of the distributing mechanism, said blanks moving along a path that is coincident with the section-indicating line 4-4 of Fig. 1. During the passage of each blank through the measuring mechanism B it is measured for thickness by the latter, and said mechanism automatically controls or sets the distributing mechanism so that the sole is delivered by the latter into one or the other of a series of bins ll (Figs. 2, 2a, 3 and 312) according to its thickness as determined by the measuring mechanism B. That is, the blanks vary in thickness and. those of one thickness are segregated from those of other thicknesses by being automatically delivered into that one of the bins l l allotted to blanks of that thickness.

The distributing mechanism includes a continuously moving carrier comprisin a pair of endless chains l2, l2 (Figs. 1, 1a, 3, 3a and 7) to which the opposite ends of a plurality of pairs of cross-bars l3l 5 are fastened.

After a blank has been delivered on to the grid-like platform or shelf ll] of the distributor, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, it occupies a position in the path of an approaching cross-bar l3 which is in the form of a rake by which said blank is engaged and carried to its destination within one supported gate [4 (see Fig. 11 also) that is normally held in closed position by gravity. The gates is are all disposed in a horizontal row and make up a slideway over which each blank is slid by one of the rakes i3 to its bin, excepting those blanks which are delivered into the first bin that is nearest to the shelf or platform [3.

Each cross-bar H3 is positioned a predetermined distance in front or ahead of its complementary rake l3 and adjustably mounted thereon is a slide it (Figs. 1, 2, 3, 3a and 7) provided at its one end with a cam l1, and adjacent to said cam with a truck or roll 18 mounted upon one side of the slide 16 in position to cooperate with an adjustable controller [9 that is pivotally supported at 2!] on the frame of the machine. A leaf spring 2| (Figs. 1 and '7) presses yieldingly against slide [6 to frictionally hold the same in its different adjusted positions.

The roll or truck 13 on each slide is also cooperates with a fixed cam 22 (Fig. la. and 3a) on the frame of the machine as will presently be described.

Each gate M is made with an upwardly projecting inclined arm 23, and the arms of the several gates are, as shown in Figs. 1 and 1a, relatively offset with respect to one another so that the cam IT on each cross-bar I can only engage one of the arms 23 as said cross-bar and cam move toward the right in Figs. 3 and 3m.

As a rake l3 approaches platform Hi to engage the blank resting thereon (Figs. 1, 3 and 7), the controller l9, whose position has just been automatically determined by the measuring mechanism B according to the thickness of said blank, acts through the truck or roll 13 of the cross-bar I5 immediately in front of said rake to position th slide l6 on said cross-bar so that the cam I! of said slide will later engage the arm 23 of the gate H; at the top of the bin H into which blanks of that thickness should be delivered.

Thus, as said blank is carried along the slideway by the rake the cam I! immediately ahead of the rake will act through the arm 23 for which it has been set by controller I9, to open the gate of said arm by forcing the latter downwardly. Therefore, when the blank arrives at the opened gate, it will be deflected by the latter downwardly into the bin that is normally closed b said gate. This will be clear from Fig. 3a which shows one of the gates M held open by the cam l! of one of the cross-bars 15 with its following complementary rake 13 about to shove a blank into its proper bin I.

Continued movement of the carrier brings the cam bar 15 and its complementary rake I3 into the upper return stretch of the carrier and as the bar 55 passes the stationary or fixed cam 22, referred to above, the latter engages the roll or truck is on the slide iii of said cross-bar I5 and adjusts said slide l6 outwardly to the limit of its movement toward the adjacent chain l2. This re-setting of the slide l5 occurs as the crossbar !5 and its complementary rake 13 start to traverse the upper stretch of the carrier on their way back toward the platform or shelf Ill.

The chains !2 of the carrier are supported at one end of the distributor mechanism by a pair of sprockets 24 fast on a shaft 25 journaled in bearings on the frame of the machine, and by a pair of sprockets 23 at the opposite end of the distributor which are fast on a shaft 2'! that is. continuously driven in the direction of the arrows (Figs. 1 and 3).

The shaft 21 also carries a sprocket 28 (shown in Fig. 7 but omitted in Fig. 2) connected by a chain 29 with a sprocket 30 fast on a shaft 3|, the latter being driven through spur gears 32 by a shaft 33. This shaft 33 carries a sprocket 34 driven through a chain 35 by a sprocket 36 fast on the armature shaft of a motor 31. This motor 31 also continuously drives the shaft of the upper measuring roll of the measuring mechanism B, as usual.

The controller i9 is automatically adjusted on its pivot 2!! in a clockwise direction (Fig. 1) according to the thickness of the blank being delivered on to platform [0 just before it is engaged by the roll l8 of on of the cam slides l6 and, therefore, when adjusted for the thinnest blank it will occupy an operative cam-adjusting position nearest to the measuring mechanism, and when adjusted for a blank of maximum thickness it will be at the limit of its movement away from the measuring mechanism.

The arms 23 of the gates are, therefore, offset progressivel toward the right (Fig. 1) starting with the arm nearest the measuring mechanism B, so that the thinnest blanks will be delivered into the bin H nearest platform 13 while the thickest sorted blanks will be delivered into the bin ll farthest from platform Hi. The blanks delivered into the end bin Ha are not sorted and will be comparatively few in number.

The construction and operation of the measuring mechanism B is, with some exceptions, the same as with the well known Nichols grading machine such as is shown and described in U. S. Patent to Johnston, No. 1,945,858, dated February 6, 1934. Other patents relating to this class of machine ar U. S. Patent to Cogswell No. 1,688,487, dated October 2, 1928, and Nichols Patent No. 1,582,140, dated April 27, 1926.

Machines of this class comprise a pair of continuously driven measuring or detecting rolls 38 (Fig. 4) to which the blanks are fed one at a time automatically from hopper A and during the passage of each blank through the machine it raises a drop-roll 39 to start the measuring action and said roll is held by the blank in an elevated position until said blank is removed from the machine, such removal being heretofore eifected manually.

When the blank is removed from the measuring mechanism the drop-roll 39 falls and acts through the usual mechanism to occasion one revolution of a shaft 46 which is normally at rest. This revolution of shaft Gil acts through the usual feed mechanism to feed forward the lowermost blank within hopper A.

In the present machine the fall of drop-roll 33 off from the rear end of a blank acts through the usual feed mechanism to start the next blank forward from hopper A as heretofore, but the present invention provides for the automatic discharge of the blank from the measuring mechanism on to platform Ill as soon as the rear end of the blank clears the measuring rolls 38.

Also, means is herein provided through which the distributor mechanism acts automatically at times to delay the fall of the drop-roll 39 thereby to maintain the movements of the rakes l3 past the platform It in properly timed re lation with the delivery of blanks on to platform I0.

That is to say, when operating upon blanks of greatest length, this automatic delay of the fall of drop-roll 39 may not be required or occur, but in operating upon blanks of lesser length such delay is automatically effected for the purpose stated.

The means for thus automatically controlling the fall of drop-roll 39 comprises a hook 4| depending from one end of a short shaft 42 journaled in a bearing provided on the frame of the distributor mechanism. The lower end of this hook 4| occupies a position alongside of the usual arm 43 which carries the drop-roll 39, and a spring 44 (Fig. 3) yieldingly urges the hook 4| toward and against the arm 43. At its opposite end the short shaft 42 carries 2. depending arm 45 connected by trip-shoe link 46 with a relatively parallel arm 41 pivotally supported at 48 on the frame of the distributing mechanism.

When a blank under maximum length is moved out from beneath drop-roll 39 as described later, the arm 43 thereof is caught and held in elevated position by the hook 4| which delays the start of the next blank forward from hopper A until a cam bar l of the distributor carrier acts through trip-shoe link 46, arm 45 and short shaft 42 to swing the latch hook 4| aside, whereupon drop-roll 39 falls and starts the next blank forward from hopper A.

The trip-shoe link 4-5 is slightly greater in length than the distance between the cam bar I5 and its following complementary rake I3 so that before cam bar I5 leaves trip-shoe link 46 its complementary rake |3 comes into position beneath said link and continues the support thereof until the rake I3 passes out of engagement with the same.

The reason for thus delaying the return of the latch hook 4| to its normal operative position is to afford time for the rear or trailing ends of the longer blanks to clear the drop-roll 39 before return of the latch to operative position.

Therefore, it will be clear that, regardless of the length of the blanks being operated upon, the start of each blank from hopper A is always definitely timed with respect to the movements of the bars |3-|5 past the platform H] of the distributor mechanism.

When operating upon shoe soles the measuring mechanism B is ordinarily operated so as to feed forward about forty-two of the shortest soles per minute and about thirty of the longest soles per minute. Therefore, in order to utilize time most economically the grading mechanism C is operated at a speed to distribute about thirty-eight soles per minute. In other words, the measuring mechanism feeds the shorter soles forward faster than it does the longer soles, while the distributing mechanism has a fixed capacity of a predetermined number of soles per minute greater than the speed of the longest soles and less than the speed of the shortest soles.

It follows, therefore, that if the measuring mechanism B is feeding soles forward slower than the distributor is distributing the sales. the timing of the engagement of the pairs of crossbars |3-|5 with the trip-shoe 46 will progressively advance relatively to the delivery of soles on to platform Hi during a predetermined number of cycles of the measuring mechanism and then will intervene a period of rest in the passage of soles through the measuring mechanism while shoe 45 dwells in its lowermost position and until re-establishment of normal timed relationship between the measuring mechanism and the movements of bars |3-|5 past shoe 46 of the distributor.

The bars |3-|5 co-act with the shoe 46 to prevent the measuring mechanism from delivering soles on to platform ||l faster than the distributor distributes them, hook 4| retarding the start of the forward movement of each sole from hopper A until a pair ofbars |3|5 engage and lift the shoe 46.

As further explaining the automatic control of the drop-roll by the distributor C through the medium of the hook 4| and shoe 46, let it be assumed that the distributor mechanism is operating with a fixed and normal capacity of thirty-eight soles per minute, and that the soles being handled are of such length that the measuring mechanism B is operating so as to have a capacity of thirty-four soles per minute.

Under these conditions the moment of engagement of each cam bar l5 with shoe 46 is continually advancing, or creepingahead, with respect to the moment of delivery of the soles on to platform I!) until a point is reached where the trailing bar 3 of said pair departs from the shoe 45 before the drop-roll falls off from the trailing end of the sole that is then being delivered. As a result, the hook 4| automatically holds the arm 43 of the drop-roll in its elevated position thereby delaying the start of the next sole from hopper A until the cross-bar I5 of a following pair lifts the shoe 45, but the delivery of this next sole on to platform ID will not occur until after said following pair of bars l3|5 has idly passed said platform at a moment when there is no sole upon the latter.

This automatic control of the feeding devices of the measuring mechanism by the distributor conveyor, acting through shoe 4% and parts connected therewith, prevents the delivery of a sole on to platform IE3 at a time when a pair of bars |3|5 are passing across the same. In other words, it automatically maintains the operation of the feeding devices of the measuring mechanism in properly timed relation with respect to the movements of the several pairs, of bars iii-l5 past the platform Hi of the distributor.

The measured blanks are discharged from the measuring mechanism B on to the platform I!) of the distributor by a pair of delivery rolls 49 and 5|] (Figs. 1, 3, 9 and 10). The upper delivery roll 49 is loosely mounted upon a shaft 5| between collars 5|a and carries at its one end a laterally projecting pin or post 52 with which the outer end of a coiled spring 53 is connected. This spring 53 surrounds the shaft 5| and its inner end is fastened to the latter.

The spring 53 normally holds the pin or post 52 against one side of an arm 54 projecting radially from shaft 5|, while the latter is continuously driven in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 9). The lower roll as is provided at its opposite ends with trunnions journaled in bearings on the usual bedplate 55 of the measuring mechanism B.

Shaft 5| of the upper delivery roll 43 is rotatably supported by journal boxes 56 mounted in vertical ways provided on the frame of the measuring mechanism 13, said boxes being yieldingly speed of the upper measuring roll 38 and, therefore, while the forward end portion of a blank occupies a position between the delivery rolls 49-58 and its rear end portion occupies a position between the measuring rolls 33, the upper delivery roll d9 will lag behind shaft and spring 53 (Figs. 9 and will be wound up, the radial arm 54 on shaft 5i moving forwardly away from the post or pin 52.

As soon as the rear end of the blank clears the measuring rolls 38, the spring 53 will unwind and rapidly rotate roll 49 in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 10) until the pin or post 52 re-engages the radial arm 54. This rapid rotation of the delivery rolls 95il vigorously discharges the blank on to the platform It) (Fig. 1) and in order to prevent the blank from passing beyond said platform, an upstanding abutment wall 63! is provided upon said platform Iii in the path of the blanks, and at the outer side of the platform.

As a blank is thus discharged from between the delivery rolls Gil-5s it is directed into its proper position on platform if) by suitable guide plates 62 and 63 (Fig. 4), the guide plate 53 being omitted from Fig, 1.

As herein shown, the distributor carrier is constructed with four pairs of cross-bars l 3|5, the leading cross-bar I5 of each pair being equipped with an adjustable gate-operating cam I1 and the following cross-bar I3 of each pair being constructed to serve as a rake.

It may be mentioned here that during the travel of each pair of cross-bars along the upper return stretches of the chains :2, each rake-bar l3 acts through a movably supported shoe B l (Figs. 1, 1a and 22a) to close an electric pushbutton switch 65 and to maintain the same closed for a period of time while a preceding camcarrying cross-bar i5 is passing the controller l9.

It may also be mentioned here that as each cam-carrying cross-bar passes beyond controller IE5 it engages and operates a movably supported shoe 6% (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) for a purpose which will be described later, while the bar !3 of each pair is cut away to avoid engagement with said shoe.

The front wall 69 of hopper A (Figs. 4 and 8) is, as usual, equipped with a vertically movable gate 68 which is automatically raised by the feed mechanism to the limit of its upward movement, as heretofore, each time said mechanism is operated to start a sole from the hopper. As the forward end of each sole emerges from the hopper the gate is dropped by the feed mechanism into position on top of the sole where it remains in an intermediate position until the rear end of the sole clears said gate 63 whereupon the latter falls into its lowermost position and acts through a lever iii (Figs. 8 and 2d), a bell-crank 12; a link l'Za, and a pawl 19, to stop the measuring action of the measuring rolls, as heretofore. Gate 58 engages one arm of the usual lever 75) which is fulcrumed at II on wall 69 so that said lever is swung on its fulcrum when the gate is moved vertically. The opposite or outer arm of lever ii! is cooperatively associated with the usual bell-crank member 12 through which lever Hi controls the usual stop-grading pawl b of the measuring mechanism to hold said pawl out of action while the gate is supported by the sole and to throw said pawl into action when the gate falls off from the rear end of the sole, all as described in the Johnston patent referred to above.

See the parts 45, 43, 9 and 59 in Fig. 2 of the drawings of that patent. In Fig. 20 of the accompanying drawings these parts are shown in the positions they occupy when the forward end of the sole or blank is between the measuring rolls and the drop roll 39.

In accordance with the present invention the outer arm of lever 18 is also cooperatively associated with a lever l3 (Figs. 1, 4 and 8) pivotally mounted at M on the frame of the machine, and also with a push-button switch 85 fixedly mounted on the frame of the machine,

When the gate 68 is first lifted to its highest point by the feed mechanism to permit the exit of a blank from the hopper A, the outer arm of lever 10 is moved into its lowermost position and acts to tilt the lever 53 on its pivot 14 in a contra-clockwise direction (Fig. 4) against the pull of a spring 82 connected with said lever 13, and also to operate the usual bell-crank '42 (Figs. 4, 8 and 20) to throw the stop-grading pawl bout of action. Immediately thereafter the gate 53 is lowered on to the top of the sole that is emerging from the hopper and this partial downward movement of gate 68 raises the outer arm of lever It out of contact with the lever 13 as shown in Fig. 8, the stop-grading pawl b remaining out of action as shown in Fig. 20.

The lever 13 carries a mercury switch 15, and when said lever '13 is tilted on its pivot 14 by lever 19 (Fig. 8) as the gate 68 is first lifted to the limit of its upward movement by the feed mechanism, three functions are performed, viz., lever i3 is disengaged from an arm 16 (Fig. 4), mercury switch '55 is opened, and push-button switch 85 (Figs. 1 and 8) is opened.

The arm 16 which controls the start-grading pawl a of the measuring mechanism is loosely mounted upon the usual rock-shaft Ti which carries the drop-roll arm 43 (Figs. 4 and 5) and its hub is made with a shoulder 18 to cooperate with an opposed shoulder I?) provided on a collar that is fixed to the shaft 71. A spring 8| mounted on the frame of the machine acts against the arm 16 so as to yieldingly urge the shoulder it toward the shoulder 19. Spring 8! is a novelty in a measuring mechanism of this type and heretofore arm 16 has been fixedly mounted on shaft H.

The feed mechanism moves each sole forward from hopper A until its forward end enters between the measuring or calipering rolls 38 after which said continuously driven measuring rolls continue the forward movement of the sole until the rear end of the latter clears the same. As the sole emerges from the hopper A the feed mechanism lowers the gate on to the top of the sole where it is supported in an intermedi ate position by the latter.

Before the rear end of the sole clears the measuring rolls the forward end thereof has entered between the delivery rolls =39 and 5% so that when released from the grip of the measuring rolls the sole is thrown or tossed on to the platform l0 by said delivery rolls.

During the movement of the forward end of the sole'from the measuring rolls toward the delivery rolls, the sole passes under and lifts the drop-roll 39 and thus acts through arm 43, shaft '1'! and shoulder 79 (Figs. 4 and 5) to swing arm "it toward the left (Fig. i). This permits spring 82 to swing the lever 73 clockwise on its pivot 14 into latching engagement with the upper end of arm 15 so as to lock the latter in its tilted position with switch I closed, for a period of time.

The movement of arm I6, just described, throws into action the usual start-grading pawl a of the measuring mechanism thereby starting the measuring action of the measuring rolls 39, and this measuring action continues until the gate 69 falls off from the rear end of the sole and acts through lever to throw the stopgrading pawl b of said mechanism (Figs. 4 and into action, as usual, and simultaneously to close the push-button switch 85 (Figs. 1 and 8).

The mercury switch I5 and push-button switch 85 are, as shown in Fig. 19, arranged in series in an electric circuit 83 which also includes a solenoid 85 (see Fig. 6 also). Thus the closing of switch 85 as the measuring action is completed, and while switch 15 is closed, serves to close circuit 83 and energize solenoid 84.

When the lever I3 is swung into latching engagement with arm '16 the mercury switch 15 is closed, and when gate 68 is again raised to its highest point by the feed mechanism to permit the exit of another sole from the hopper A, it acts through the lever 10 to open switch 85 and also to disengage the lever I3 from arm I6, thus permitting spring BI to return shoulder 18 into engagement with shoulder 19 (Fig. 5), the accompanying movement of arm I6 bringing the latter into position to throw the start-grading pawl out ofraction and lock the lever '13 in its adjusted position, as shown in Fig. 4, with switch 15 also open. 1

Upon exhaustion of the supply of soles within the hopper A, the forward end of the last sole passing through the measuring mechanism raises the drop-roll 39 thereby swinging arm 16 toward the left (Fig. 4) where it is caught and held by lever 1'3 with mercury switch I5 closed. As soon as the rear end of said last sole clears the gate 68 the latter drops downwardly and acts through the lever '10 to close the switch 85 thereby energizing the solenoid 84 preparatory to the proper disposition of said last sole by the distributing mechanism.

As soon as the rear end of said last sole clears the drop-roll 39 the latter falls and acts through the usual devices to effect an operation of the feed mechanism and the latter raises and. lowers the gate 68. The upward movement of gate 68 at this time acts through lever I0 to throw out of action the usual stop-grading pawl b and also to adjust lever I3 so as to free arm 16 thus allowing the latter to be moved by spring 8| into position to throw out of action the usual startgrading pawl a and at the same time lock the lever 13 in its upper adjusted position with switch 75 open. The immediately following downward movement of the gate at this time is not interrupted by a sole and therefore acts through the lever 10 to close push-button switch 85, but since mercury switch 15 is then maintained open by the arm 16, the solenoid 84 is not energized.

' Thus the mercury switch 15 is provided to prevent overheating of the solenoid 84 when the supply of soles within the hopper A becomes exhausted and it will therefore be clear that said mercury switch is a desirable, but not wholly essential, feature of the present machine.

After replenishing the supply of soles within hopper A the machine is again started by manually raising and releasing the drop-roll 39. This returns the arm l9 into latched engagement with the lever 13 and at the same time effects a single revolution of the. feed shaft 40. The accompanying vertical reciprocatory movement of gate 68 trips lever I3 thereby opening switch I5 and freeing arm 19 so that the latter is moved into position to hold lever I3 in its upper adjusted position with the start-grading pawl a of the mechanism out of action until drop-roll 39 is engaged and raised by the forward end of the first sole being fed from the hopper. At the conclusion of this first reciprocatory movement of gate 63 the latter is seated upon the top of.

the advancing sole with lever 10 occupying an intermediate position, as shown in the drawings, and both switches I5 and open.

The lower measuring roll 38 is rotatably supported by a carrier 89 (Fig. 6) which is pivotally mounted on the frame of the machine at 81 and yieldingly supported, as usual, by a spring 88, the free end of the carrier 89 is connected, through the usual devices, with a vertically disposed and vertically movable bar member 89 which is adjusted vertically by each sole as the latter passes between the measuring rolls. Through the connections referred to, the lower measuring roll adjusts bar 89 vertically into a position corresponding with the thickness of the thinnest part of the measured portion of each sole, and at its upper end bar 89 carries the usual rack through which it operates the pointer of the usual indicator 90 of the mechanism.

As shown in Fig. 13, the core 9| of solenoid 04 is connected by a link 92 with one arm of a lever 93 that is pivotally mounted at 94 on the frame of the machine. Between the link 92 and pivot 94 the lever 93 is provided with a truck or roll 95 that is cooperatively disposed with respect to an abutment collar 99 provided on the bar 89. A spring 9'1 yieldingly supports the core 9| at the limit of its upward movement with the truck or roll 95 out of engagement with the collar 96 and outside of its range of movement so that normally no load is imposed on the bar 89 by the lever 93 and during the measuring action of the machine the bar 89 is fully under control of the measuring mechanism and uninfiuenced by any other parts of the machine except the usual pointer mechanism of the indicator.

Loosely mounted on the pivot 94 alongside of lever 93 is a stop arm or member 98 (Figs. 13 and 14) made with an arcuate segment 99 provided with ratchet teeth I00 upon its periphery or edge and with ratchet teeth IOI upon the outer side thereof. These ratchet teeth I00 and IOI are opposed, that is to say, they face in opposite directions and cooperate, respectively, with latches I02 and I03 (Figs. 1, 6 and 13), the teeth I00 facing upwardly and the teeth IOI facing downwardly.

The latch I02 is fixed in position upon one end of a short shaft I04 (Figs. 3 and 6) journaled on the frame of the machine while the latch I03 is pivotally mounted at I05 on the frame of the machine, as shown in Figs. 14 and 17, and yieldingly urged toward the ratchet teeth I00 by a spring I06. Fixed in position upon the opposite end of the short shaft I04 is a depending arm I01 (Figs. 3 and 6) Whose lower end is pivotally connected with one end of the shoe 69, hereinabove referred to, the opposite end of said shoe being pivotally connected to the lower end of another arm I08 that is pivotally mounted at I09 on the frame of the machine. The two arms I01 and I08 are parallel and of equal lengths.

The pivotally supported stop arm 98 (Figs. 6, 14-16) is made at its free end with a laterally extending blade ortocth IIIJ-cocperatively disposed with respect to theserrated edge'of a vertically disposed stepped abutment plate I I I which is a rigid part of a horizontally disposed slidebar'I I2 (see Figs. 1 and '12 also) mounted in ways on the frame of the machine. One end of this slide-bar I I2 is connected through a pin-and-slot connection II3 with the controller I9, hereinabove referred to. The opposite end of slidebar I I2 is provided with a socket II4- which is occupied by the extremity of one of the arms of a bell-crank H5 that is fulcrumed' at IIS on the frame of the machine. The other arm of bell-crank II5is pivotally' connected to the upper end of a link I I1 Whose lower end is pivotally connected to the core II8'of a solenoid II9 Whose coil is fixed on the frame of the machine;

As shown in'Fig. 19, the solenoid II9-is arranged in a circuit I29 in serieswith the normally open rake-operated push-button switch 65,

hereinabove referred to, and as hereinbefore stated, each rake-bar I3, while traversing the'upper course or stretchof the distributor carrier and moving toward the platform Hi, acts through the shoe 64' to close the switch 65 and to maintain the same closed for a period of time duringwhich a. cam bar I die passing controller I9. Normally a spring I2I (Fig. lat)- holds the shoe Min endwise abutting engagement with a stop I22 where it is out of engagement with the button of switch 65, but whenoneof the rake-bars I3, reaches shoe 64 one of the tines of said bar engages and swings the shoe laterally on its parallel supporting links I23 thereby causing the shoe to operate the button of switch 65 and close the latter; said switch being maintained closed by the rake-bar until the latter passes out of engagement with the shoe. The engagement of each rake-bar withthe shoe 64 is timed to occur as, a preceding cam bar I5 in the lower stretch of the carrier approaches controller I9, and switch 65 is maintained closed by'said rakebar until said preceding cam bar passes beyond controller IB'and its cam has been selectively set or adjusted by the latter.

Normally a spring I24 connected with link II'I (Fig. 12) holds core IIB at'the limit of 'itsupward movement with a pin I25 on abutment plate III bearing against a stop-pin I26 on the frame of the machine and with slide-bar I I2in its fully retracted position; but when solenoid H9 is energized its core I I8 acts through the connections described to throw the slide-bar llz'forward to the extent permitted by the engagement of stepped plate III with the adjustable stop arm 38 after the latter has been set in. adjusted position by the measuring mechanism B and locked in that position by the distributor mechanism C through its control of latches I02 and 193."

In Figs. 1 and 3 a cam bar I5 is shown in engagement with controller I9 while a rake-bar I3 is in engagement with shoe 64. Under these conditions switch 65 (Figs. 1a and 19) is closed; solenoid II9 (Figs. 6 and 12) is energized; stop arm- 98' is locked against 'movement in either direction by latches Ill2+l (13 (Figs. 13, 14 and 15') solenoid 84' is de-energized, a sole #1 occupies a position upon platform Ii] of the distributor C and is about to be engaged by a rake-bar I3, and the forward end of 'a sole #2 is emerging from the measuring rolls. For purposes of illustration, sole #2 is omittedfrom' Figs. 1 and 4, but the forward end'portion thereof is. shown in Fig. 6.

As the forward end of the sole #2 moves forward from measuring rolls 38 it swings thetrip' arm 6'! (Figs. 4 and 13) laterally and said trip arm is supported by the sole in this displaced position until the rear end of sole-#2 clears the same.

Trip arm- 67 is faston one end of a short transverse shaft I30 journaled' ina bearing at one side of the frame of the machine and the outer end of this shaft isprovided with an arm- I3I with which is connected one end of a'spring I34 by which said arm'is-held againsta stop I35 on the frame when there is no sole in engagement with trip arm 61.

At its free end arm I3I carries-a laterally projecting stud I32-which cooperateswith a cam surface I33 providedupon one arm of a bellcrank detent I29 that is fulcrumed at I36 on the frame of the machine. The other arm IZSa-of this bell-crank is cooperatively disposed-with respect to the lower endof latch I02-and has connected to it one end of a spring I28 which-yieldingly urges thecam surface I33 toward the stud When trip arm 61 isswung aside by sole-#2, thestud-l32is swung-upwardly out of engagement withbell-crank I29 thus allowing spring I28 to urgethe arm- I29a ofsaid-bell-crankdownwardly into position upon a laterally projectingtooth I3'I provided at thelower end of latch IE2 (Figs, 14-17). The lowerend of latch I03 is constructed with a laterally projec-tinglug I38 that is yieldingly held at all times against the side of tooth I31 of latch I32 by the spring I536; The tooth I31 of latch IIlZ-cooperates with the ratchet teeth IIH on stop arm 98 while the lower end of latch I93ismade with atooth I39 to cooperate with the ratchet teeth IQOon stop arm 98-. Thecontacting surfaces of tooth-I31 and lug 138- are beveled or cam-shaped, as shown in Figs. 15 and 16, so that when latch III2'is swung away from teeth IOI on stop arm-98 by upward movement of-dist'ributor shoe 66; it acts through lug, I33'to swing latch I63 away from ratchet teeth I00 on said stop arm 98. When latch I02 is swung in the opposite-direction to engage its tooth I31, with'the ratchet teeth IEII on stop arm 98; the spring' IIIG' simultaneously swings ilatch 23in a direction to engage its tooth I39 with the ratchet teeth' I005 on said stop The, arm I68 which supports one end of the shoe 65 (Fig. 3) has connected'to'it'one' end of a spring I4'0'whose "opposite end' is connected withthe frame ofthe machine. This spring acts through'thearm I08,shoe:66','arm I01 and shaft IIM'to atpall timesyieldingly urge latch I32 to ward stop arm 93. It will thereforebe clear that when shoe v66f is displaced upwardly by a cam bar I5; it acts through the connections described toswing "both latches I82 and I03 (Figs. 15 and 16) away from. stop arm 98' and said latches are held out of engagement with said stop" arm while a cam bar I5 is passing beneath shoe 66;" Assoon as the camv bar passes shoe 63 spring I (Fig. 3) and springi'IfiB*(Fig; 14) return both latches I ll2'I 03 into engagement with stop. arm' 93" as described.

At'the moment that'thestop arm'98 (Fig-:13)

is released from" latches I02'III3 by upward movement of the distributor shoe? 63-;the switch (Figsgla and 19) is open, solenoid H9 is'deenergizedand steppedmember 'I II is held at the limit of its movementtoward'the-right by spring I24 as shown in "Fig.'l2:sojthat saidstop arm 98 "free to be 'adjustedin' either direction. 

